Dayssi's Marathoneuse

This Sunday a fantastic woman and former student of both mine and Jim's will run a half marathon, in honor of Dayssi and a childhood friend of hers, to help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Her name is Florence, she is French (hence, the title), and this is her first roadrace ever, I think. The race, sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training, takes place in Saddle River, NJ. Florence will run with a picture of Dayssi somewhere on her, and if you happen to be local, I urge you to go watch, cheer her on, and give her a huge hug (or at least a high five)!

Here is a web link to Florence's webpage, where you can find out more about Team in Training, make a donation, and read her blog about her experience training for the run. It sounds like torture to me. What an amazing commitment she has made.

http://www.active.com/donate/tntnyc/FNmarathoneuse

I should mention while on this topic that one of Dayssi's incredible pre-school teachers, Christina, ran a marathon for LLS Team in Training last summer, wearing a badge with Dayssi's picture on it, shortly after she was diagnosed. Christina had run before, for her grandmother, and the race took place so early in Dayssi's treatment and I was so shell shocked that it didn't even occur to me to go watch or even post about it here. I was incredibly touched by that gesture, as I am by this one, but I doubt Christina had any clue.

Meanwhile, we are all doing fine for now. Dayssi was really worn out on Tuesday and Wednesday from all of the chemo, but today she seems to be on the upswing. The steroids are having their usual effects, but a new one is that she seems compelled to smack us, with a smile, on whatever body part is most accessible. It is annoying for me, but dangerous for her as it is also really really annoying for India, and she smacks back! So much for our no hitting rule. When it's me against the steroids I tend to buckle. Anyway, Saturday morning the steroids will have all been ingested, and by Monday, with any luck, the smack attack will be over as well.

Go Florence!!!!

Done with Another LP

Dayssi had her lumbar puncture this morning and it went smoothly. We had some trouble at the clinic with her blood draw yesterday, trying to use the IV in the back of her hand, which is necessary to adminster her vincristine. Three sticks in the back of the hand, and the nurses (two different teams tried) couldn't get any blood out. Finally they administered her vincristine, which went in fine, and we went to the lab for a finger poke (that makes 4 pokes altogether). Next time we'll use the finger poke for labs, which she doesn't mind (much), and the IV for medicine. It will be much less traumatic for both of us.

Apparently when the needle goes into one of the tiny veins in her hand it can block a valve from another vein, and when trying to suck the blood out the valve gets sucked closed.

Dayssi is a very tough little cookie. No crying yesterday, even though the anesthetic from the patch had worn off by the time we got the medicine into her. She said it hurt. This morning her legs hurt, and her she felt nauseous, and she cried because of all of this and the fact that she was hungry and couldn't eat while India was having her breakfast.

Meanwhile, she went happily to her LP and when she woke up from anesthesia she popped up on her gurney and wondered why so many other kids were crying. I gave her some Fruit Loops (big treat for having to fast) and let her take it all in. I got her home, where she gets to lie down and watch a movie. So for now things are looking up.

Quick Update

Sorry I've been off task. All is well. We are headed to a picnic in Berkeley today, hoping to stay dry. Dayssi has a lumbar puncture on Tuesday (once every three months) to check her spinal fluid and to give her some preventative chemo for her central nervous system (the drugs she takes via her blood stream don't cross the blood brain barrier, but of course the leukemia can. They'll give her general anesthesia and the procedure will take about 20 minutes, assuming all goes well as it usually does.

We had cousins visit last weekend (Stephen, Frances, Evan, Aiden and Avery) and I've been waiting until I could post pictures before writing. The pictures are still on my to do list. Along with everything else.

What Happens in Vegas is often overrated

For the record, I won $5... but it cost me $11

What Happens in Vegas

We just returned from three days in Las Vegas. I'm not allowed to report everything that happened there but if you want to have some fun, ask Jim whether he won anything.

It was a great getaway. We saw a couple of shows, had some great meals, spent half a day in a great spa, and mostly marveled at the gambling. What a racket. I don't have time this morning for a proper tribute to this mecca of human hedonism and irrationality, but Las Vegas has to be one of the seven wonders of the world. It is just mind boggling on every level.

The girls had their own adventure, sleeping over for two nights (!!) at Candy's with her girls and their pets. They crashed early last night and right now they are in the bathtub in matching swimsuits with matching goggles, warming up after having chased one another around the yard with the garden hose. Perfect.